Coupling stirrup and centering device for railway-cars.



PATENTED MAR. 29, 1904.

. W. G. CORY. COUPLING'STIRRUP AND GENTERING DEVICE FOR RAILWAY CARS.

APPLIOATION PILBDJUNB 22. 1903.

2 SHBETSSHBET 1.

no MODEL NMWN ' ATTORNEYS IIAl/MfA/A PATENTED MAR. 29

W. G. con. COUPLING STIRRUP AND GENTERING DEVICE FOR RAILWAY 0ARS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22. 1903.

2 SHEETSSHBET 2.

N0 MODEL.

A TTORNE YJ' UNITED STATES Batented ch 29, 1904.

COUPLING STIRRUP AND CENTERING DEVICE FOR RAILWAY"GAIRS- SPECIFICATIONforming part of Lett r P81176711; 17 755,622, dated March 29, 190%..

Application filed June 22, 1903. serial No. 162,477. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILBUR G. CORY, a citizen of the United States,residing in New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State ofConnecticut,have invented a new and useful Improvementin CouplerStirrups and CenteringDevices for Railway-Cars,of which the folaroundcurves and which will also hold the coupler normally in its propercentral position in respect to the car.

My invention consists in the means I employ to practically accomplishthis object or result-th at is to say, it consists in a stirrup orcarry-lron having a guide-channel, preferably U shape in cross-section,to receive and guide a coupler-centering device and a spring andfollowers therefor and provided with shoulders or stops for thefollowers to abut against, in connection or combination with acoupler-centering device having a seat on its upper side to receivethecoupler drawbar and end flanges to embrace and bear against thefollowers, a spring and a pair of followers for causing thecoupler-centering device to return to its normal or central position,while permitting the coupler to swing laterally from side to side, asrequired. The followers are interposed between the stirrup or carry-ironand the coupler-centering device, the followers resting on the stirrupor carryiron and the centering device being above the followers. Thecentering device is also pro vided with guides or flanges at its sideedges, engaging the upper edges of the webs which form the channel orguide grooves in the carry-iron or stirrup for the-centering device.

The carry-iron and the stirrup or centering device are both able iron.

My invention also consists in the novel construction of parts anddevices and in the novel combinations of parts and devices herein shownor described.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a central vertical longitudinal section taken on line 1 1 ofFig. 2 and showing a passenger-car coupler provided with my invention.Fig. 2 is a front end view, partly in vertical section, on line 2 2 ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of my improved coupler stirrup orcarry-iron and centering device. Fig. 4 is a section on line i 4 of Fig.3. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective View of one of the followers, and Fig.6 is a detail perspective View of the coupler-centering device.

In the drawings, .A represents a portion of a car-frame; A, the coupler;A the drawbar; A the draft-rigging spring; A*, the buffer, and A thebuffer-spring, these parts hepreferably cast and of malleing of anyordinary or customary construction.

B is my improved coupler stirrup or carryiron, the same being preferablyof malleable iron and having horizontal webs b for attachment to the carand depending webs or fllanges 6 6 to give room for the couplerdraw-bar, and provided with an integral guide trough or channel B toreceive. the coupler-centering device and permit it to reciprocatelaterally of the car. The guide trough or channel B of the centeringdevice is open at the top and preferably U shape in cross section and isformed by the curved side wallsor web's b of the carry-iron or stirrup.The carry-iron or stirrup is also provided with shoulders or stops 1)for the followers 0 C of the centering device D to abut against. Thecentering device Dis preferably also of malleable iron and has uprightflanges d d, forming a seat D between them for the draw-bar of thecoupler, and depending flanges or ends at 0?, fitting within the guidetrough .or channel B of the carry-iron to embrace and bear against the.followers C 0.

channel or chamber formed therein to receive per ends or edges 0 to fitthe under face of the bed 111 of the centering device. The followers Calso have bosses or thimbles c to fit in the ends of the spring F.

In operation when the coupler swings to 7 either side the centeringdevice D moves with it, thus compressing the spring F, one of thefollowers C being held stationary by engagement with the correspondingstopor shoulder 6 on the carrydron, while the other follower moves withthe centering device. The compressedspring will thus return thecentering device and coupler to their central. position as soon as thetrain again passes onto straight track, and the spring of the centeringdevice will also normally hold the coupler in its central or properposition longitudinally of the car. i I As in my invention the stirrupor carryiron is itself provided with achannel or chamber longitudinallythereof to receive and guide the centering device and with stops orshoulders for the followers, in which channel or chamber the spring andfollowers are contained, and as the centering device itself covers thischannel or chamber on the top and incloses and embraces at its ends thefollowers and spring the spring and followers are en-' tirely inclosedand the whole device is at once composed of few partsand made of simple,strong, efficient, and durable construction, not liable to wear, break,or get out of repair, while at the same time operating most'efiieiently.

The upright flanges d d are provided with curved inner faces d to betterpermit the centering device D to reciprocate longitudinally of thecarry-iron B without cramping as the coupler and draw-bar swinglaterally from side to side.

I claim 1. A car-coupler supporting and centering device, comprising incombination a stirrup or carry-iron having an internal guide-trough acentering device, spring and followers, and provided with shoulders orsteps for the followe s to abut against, of a centering device havingupright flanges forming a seat for the coupler draw bar, and dependingends or flanges fitting within said guide trough or channel of thestirrup or carry-iron, and em.- bracing the followers, a spring and apair of followers inclosed and embraced between said stirrup orcarry-iron and said centering device, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with a car-coupler stirrup or carry-iron having achannel or chamber open at the top to receive a spring and a pair offollowers, and provided with stops or shoulders for the followers toabut against, of

a coupler-centering device having a seat for the draw-bar of thecoupler, and provided with depending ends or flanges fitting within saidchannel or chamber of the stirrup or carry-iron to embrace and bearagainst the followers, substantially as specified.

3. The combination with a coupler-stirrup or carry-iron, having achannel or chamber to receive a spring, and shoulders or steps for thefollowers of the spring to abut z'igainst, of a couplercentering devicehaving a seat for the draw-bar of. the coupler and ends fitting withinsaid channel or chamber of the stirrup or carry iron and embracing andbearing against the followers, and guides or flanges fitting the upperedges or faces of the webs or walls of the channel or chamber in thestirrup or carryriron, and a spring and foliowers,

substantially as specified.

i. A malleable-iron car-coupler stirrup or carry-iron, having horizontalwebs or flanges 5 b for attachment to the car, and depending carry-iron,having horizontal webs or fla'nges y b '6 for attachment to the car, anddepending webs or flanges b b and Z2 6 forming a space for the draw-barbetween them and providedwith a channel or chamber B formed by curvedwalls 6 b and furnished with shoulders or stops 6 substantially asspecified.

7 A car-coupler-centering device B, having upright flanges dd forming aseat for the draw-bar of the coupler, and depending ends or flanges d dto embrace and bear against the followers in combination with acarryiron having an integral guide trough or channel within which saiddepending'ends orflanges d d fit, substantially as specified.

8. A car-coupler-centering device D, having upright flanges 01 (Zforming a seat for the draw-bar of the coupler, and depending ends 0.1"flanges d d to embrace and bear; against the followers, and ribs orwebsa d uniting said flanges d d in combination with a carryiron havingan integral guide trough or chanme! within which said depending ends orflanges d d fit, substantially as specified.-

9. A car-coupler-centering device D, having upright flanges d d forminga seat for the draw-bar of the coupler, and depending ends or flanges Lid to embrace and bear against I the foilowers, ribs or Webs (Z d unitingsaid flanges (Z (Z, and a horizontal bed d provided with guides orflanges d, d, at its edges, substantially as specified.

VVILBUR G. CORY! Witnesses:

TM. 3. LANGZETTEL, ROBT. HUSBAND.

